Swiftkey was one of the first apps I downloaded and I didn't even know it was owned by Microsoft.

Haha. Speaking of keyboards, so it's been a little bit since you posted about getting the Idol 3. How's that been for you? General thoughts? I know the speakers are very nice, but aside from that, I'm curious. (I know that I'm not alone here in being curious )

Haha. Speaking of keyboards, so it's been a little bit since you posted about getting the Idol 3. How's that been for you? General thoughts? I know the speakers are very nice, but aside from that, I'm curious. (I know that I'm not alone here in being curious )

Since getting the Idol 3, I replaced my girl's Lumia 640 with the Idol 4.

Overall I've been very pleased with the Idol 3. It's not completely stock Android, but it's pretty close. It forgoes some of the Android icons in favor of icons custom designed by Alcatel. Not a huge change nor very distracting. It also has two other very useful features which are double tap to wake/sleep and a notification light. I'd much rather have Glance screen but a light is serviceable.

In day-to-day use, how I use Android isn't much different than Windows Phone. Granted, I'm sure that has a lot to do with not having a current need to take advantage of the apps on Android. For example, despite having access to my bank's app, I still use the web browser. I so rarely need to log into my bank that it seems rather pointless to download the app. Such is true for a lot of apps. I basically don't download anything unless I know I'm going to use it all the time.

One notable advantage is stability. The Idol 3 has been rock solid. Maybe it's just a Marshmallow thing, or maybe Alcatel did a good job of customizing Android, but I've rarely had an app crash or needed to reset my phone. Plus, apps resume from suspension just fine. It's a shocking difference between how stable the Idol 3 is with Marshmallow compared to my Lumia 1520 with the Anniversary update.

However, I'm no fan of Chrome. It's nice how quickly and reliably it can sync bookmarks, but the UI leaves a lot to be desired. I also prefer the Windows Phone versions of Outlook, Messaging, Outlook Calendar, Groove, and the keyboard. However, the Outlook Calendar widget is loads better than its live tile counterpart. And geez Google, develop a good default camera app already.

I don't use Ok Google or Hey Cortana enough to make a fair comparison. Although it is nice that Ok Google has worked every time I tried to use it while Hey Cortana almost never does on my Lumia 1520 (which I think is a documented problem with the 1520 specifically).

Really tempted by the Idol 3 especially since it's so very cheap right now on Amazon.
I wanted it because of the speaks and the way it can flip the display in any direction.
Wish the RAM was at 3GB tho..

Really tempted by the Idol 3 especially since it's so very cheap right now on Amazon.
I wanted it because of the speaks and the way it can flip the display in any direction.
Wish the RAM was at 3GB tho..

Being able to flip the phone has come in pretty handy. Aside from the times when I'm just being lazy and don't feel like flipping the phone around, it also helps when it's plugged in. I don't have to turn the phone to an awkward position to use it.

Really tempted by the Idol 3 especially since it's so very cheap right now on Amazon.
I wanted it because of the speaks and the way it can flip the display in any direction.
Wish the RAM was at 3GB tho..

Idol 4 has 3GB RAM and the speakers are front/back as well as top/bottom. Great sound and a VR Headset is bundled in. Slightly smaller screen (I3 is 5.5" vs I4 at 5.2") but the same FHD so the pixel density increases and you get a small bump up in SoC.

I'm not thinking of leaving/switching platforms, however, recently I have been contemplating getting acquainted with Android. It's more for personal education - something I should know about. I'm not looking for a high end flagship phone but something mid range like the Nexus 5X and Moto G4 Play, something to play around with, possibly end up as a secondary phone. I definitely don't want an underpowered budget Android device: I've done my time with the Lumia 520. lol

Nothing is concrete at this stage but I am committed to getting to know Android.

I'm not thinking of leaving/switching platforms, however, recently I have been contemplating getting acquainted with Android. It's more for personal education - something I should know about. I'm not looking for a high end flagship phone but something mid range like the Nexus 5X and Moto G4 Play, something to play around with, possibly end up as a secondary phone. I definitely don't want an underpowered budget Android device: I've done my time with the Lumia 520. lol

Nothing is concrete at this stage but I am committed to getting to know Android.

My "couch tablet" is a Nexus 7 (2013). You might want to try an Android tab for media consumption and games as a way to achieve your goals.

Since getting the Idol 3, I replaced my girl's Lumia 640 with the Idol 4.

Overall I've been very pleased with the Idol 3. It's not completely stock Android, but it's pretty close. It forgoes some of the Android icons in favor of icons custom designed by Alcatel. Not a huge change nor very distracting. It also has two other very useful features which are double tap to wake/sleep and a notification light. I'd much rather have Glance screen but a light is serviceable.

Thank you for sharing! Enjoyed the read. I must ask, so what did your girl think of the Idol?

Originally Posted by mc_razza

I'm not thinking of leaving/switching platforms, however, recently I have been contemplating getting acquainted with Android. It's more for personal education - something I should know about. I'm not looking for a high end flagship phone but something mid range like the Nexus 5X and Moto G4 Play, something to play around with, possibly end up as a secondary phone. I definitely don't want an underpowered budget Android device: I've done my time with the Lumia 520. lol

Nothing is concrete at this stage but I am committed to getting to know Android.

Both of those are nice choices, I have heard many good things about the G4 Play.

Ooh one of MrMobile's recent tweets is like a punch but it's a fair point. I still really like and respect him a lot, but I didn't expect for him to put it that way about recommending a windows phone. (By the way, for those of you that don't know, he has a Lumia 950 that he also carries around so it's not like he's just a Windows Mobile basher)

So I liked the idea as to where the promising direction for wp8.1 was heading and then they pulled the rug from underneath for 1020 users. So I thought it will be fine I will upgrade to the next Lumia but then lumias were scrapped too. The "advanced hardware" is never advanced as most of them have been in the pipeline for a considerable amount of time. There is lack of promotion for windows phone not only the Lumia but the OS in general. If they don't push it how will it increase the numbers.
Granted MS is just a SW company so they deal with only the SW but where is the promo required for Windows phone. The world is much bigger than just a couple of continents. There are still plenty of things bothering me with the OS along with the drivers and a range of things which still hasn't been fixed after all these months of win 10 being in existence. So I find the SW company selling its "number one money maker" as a "Service" which is a easy way to say there are mistakes right now but we are too busy working on the next update so wait until then and the next update will have some other mistake getting caught in the cycle.

On my 1020 I was on ebay after a while and they have pulled the app now. Most apps are/ were available as 3rd party while MS have their own apps on other platforms with better ratings than on their own platform and the rest of the apps that were useful to me are already not available.So if they are primarily a SW company where is the SW for the windows user, phone or otherwise.

I cant stand apple so I have decided to try android and I don't think transition to it should be that difficult. I will still keep the nearly new looking 1020 with the nearly new looking 808. Maybe just a may be in the future there will be something churning out of Nokia factories running WP10 "service" (fat chance I think seeing that they have the D1C running android). but until then...... I hope I turn to like android.

Android is cool. You'll like it. The only thing that I really miss when I use my android phone is the start screen. I've always liked that I. Good luck with your switch.

i know i am in a for a lot of things to miss like glance, double tap and start screen to start with. but may be there are some apps that can come to the rescue for a few of the lacking features that are essential but not vital. ;)
Thank you for your wishes. I may start surfing the sister forum android central if any issues

My "couch tablet" is a Nexus 7 (2013). You might want to try an Android tab for media consumption and games as a way to achieve your goals.

Nexus 7 is a sweet little tablet. Unfortunately it's difficult to find in my neck of the woods online. I did look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8 and other sub-10" tablets, so that's something to consider.

Originally Posted by libra89

Both of those are nice choices, I have heard many good things about the G4 Play.

Yeah, reviews for the G4 and G4 Play are pretty solid.

Originally Posted by libra89

Ooh one of MrMobile's recent tweets is like a punch but it's a fair point. I still really like and respect him a lot, but I didn't expect for him to put it that way about recommending a windows phone. (By the way, for those of you that don't know, he has a Lumia 950 that he also carries around so it's not like he's just a Windows Mobile basher)

I agree with Michael Fisher. At this point in time the 950/XL is best aimed at business and enterprise rather than regular consumers with money to burn.

I miss the start screen but can live without it. The thing I miss most is the camera on my Lumina. The camera app on android is a bit rubbish.

As to hardware, cost was an issue for me and I ended up buying used OnePlus devices. A OnePlus 2 for me and a OnePlus One foe my son. They are good phones with good specs and I have no complaints. They both running marshmallow, my sons is a cyanogen rom and mine is the standard OnePlus "Oxygen O/S"

I run an internal exchange server for my company and use the "Mailwise" app on the phone - its a way better mail app for me than outlook /mail or whatever MS calls it - I have multiple email accounts on exhabge and IMAP.

All the other MS apps are pretty much exactly like they were on my Lumia -OneNote, word etc, so I see no difference there.

Ive been an MS mobile stalwart since the very first windows mobile - shame they ruined it, but Android works better for me now than windows mobile/phone has for the last 5 years.

Its fine as a phone, but I'll not be buying an android tablet any time soon - stcking to my Surface pro 3 ☺

On the 28th of this month I will get my hands on my first android phone Xiaomi s3 prime. What are you thought about this phone? I am getting it for about $160 AUD which otherwise would be about $270 AUD. A case for $5 a 16GB class 10 Samsung micro SD for $5 a tempered glass guard for $3.

P.S Thanks Laura for putting this post in its place. I did not know this place existed in WPcentral :D ;)

I have a like-new 920 and 1520. I loved the transition from 8 to 8.1, as it made leaps and bounds in terms of UX. Moved to an iphone 6 then an S7 edge and absolutely never looked back. The things I really miss are Cortana and live tiles. After experience with Siri and Hey Google, Cortana is absolutely the best personal assistant out there. I really miss the ease of messaging through Bluetooth.

The best thing was the camera, it's pretty much the main reason I was looking for another phone. With WP and even the 20+ megapixel lens pales to the clarity of the S7 camera. I no longer miss shots with my kids who can't stay still for the 3-5 seconds it takes for wp cameras. No more video errors either. Nada.

If you're looking to jump the fence, do it. Those small things like glance aren't so important with AOD and edge screen. And then there's the apps. Oh, the apps.

I've just switched to Android after having been with Windows Phone since the beginning. Got a Oneplus 3 and am generally pretty happy with it. It certainly runs Android 6 very smoothly and no sign of the lag so many speak about but it is a pretty high end device - my mum's cheap Android phone is dreadful compared to cheap Windows phones. Overall I quite like Android - I just don't like google but with a bit of effort and research you can minimise your interactions with them. As for the OS itself, I definitely miss the beautiful start screen but I knew I would. The notification centre in Android is also a little messy in my view - much prefer the Windows mobile version. There are a lot more ads on apps and these are often very obtrusive and annoying. I tried casting to my smart TV and this seems very similar to the Windows experience - very hit and miss. The weirdest thing is that answering calls when the phone is locked is actually very difficult to figure out - not sure if this is a stock android thing or some modification form the manufacturer but, after a week I'm still not quite sure what I am supposed to do...lol.

Of course, the big difference is the apps. I knew there were a few apps I wanted that were not on WM but the reality is that I am using a lot more apps than I had anticipated and generally enjoying not being 'left out' on most apps that are available.

The Microsoft app available on android also lets you install lots of MS stuff en masse and is very useful (though you have to ignore security warnings along the way)

Cortana is like a slightly backwards version of the WM version but the basics are there and even the notification sync to desktop works pretty well.

As a small business owner I certainly have no problem with Android and I can't make a case for preferring WM for business purposes but I'm a long way off being a large scale enterprise.

Really hope that things change and I can come back to WM one day but for now the app gap is a problem and I don't see me coming back until that changes or until there is that paradigm shift people keep talking about!

On the 28th of this month I will get my hands on my first android phone Xiaomi s3 prime. What are you thought about this phone? I am getting it for about $160 AUD which otherwise would be about $270 AUD. A case for $5 a 16GB class 10 Samsung micro SD for $5 a tempered glass guard for $3.

P.S Thanks Laura for putting this post in its place. I did not know this place existed in WPcentral :D ;)

For those of you moving to Android and wanting the look of live tiles, check out "Square Home 2" launcher. With all the options it has, you can get really close to what you had on your windows phones. Best 5 dollars I have spent in a long time.